Refrigerating apparatus



"July 29 1924. 1,502,791

c. L. McCUEN RE FRIGERAT I NG APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1918 2Sheets-Sheet 1 C. L. M CUEN REFR I GERATING APPARATUS July 29. 1924Filed Oct. 9, 1918 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

atented July 29, 1924.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L MOCUEN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO

DELOO-LIGHT COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE. I

BETRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Application filed October 9, 1918. Serial No. 257,487.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. MOGUEN, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Detroit, Wayne County, State of Michian, have inventedcertain new and useful mprovements in Refrigerating Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to re rigerating apparatus and particularly tothat type of apparatus that is adapted to be used in connection withhousehold refrigerators.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a compact arrangementof the refriggrating apparatus.

other obJect of the invention is to provide the compressor, condenser,and motor units with interconnections of simple and compact form.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerating apparatuswhich is adapted to have all of its parts mounted or supported upon asingle base so that it may be readily associated with a refrigerator.

Another object of the invention is to con- 2 struct the base of the unitso that a storage chamber for the refrigerant may be housed within it.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription taken in connection with the drawings which form a part ofthis specification, and in which Figure 1. is a vertical section throughthe upper part of a refrigerator and a refrigerating apparatus built inaccordance with this invention mounted thereon, some of the parts beingin elevation; and

Flgure 2 is a vertical section at right angles to Figure 1, on line 2-2of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents a refrigerator of the ordinarydomestic type, having a compartment 11 which is usually an icecompartment. An opening 12 is provided in the top wall of therefrigerator over the compartment 11 and an expansion coil 13 ofsuitable form is arranged to be inserted through the opening 12 into thecompartment 11. This coil 13 is supported by brackets 14 which aresecured to a base 15 forming the principal support and foun dation ofthe refrigerator unit or apparatus.

As shown, this base 15 is of hollow form, being open at the bottom. andarranged on the refrigerator 10 so that its interior is 65 open to thecompartment 11 through the opening 12. It will be understood that thebase 15 rests upon the refrigerator, being detachably secured thereto ifdesired, and it may be readily removed with the parts attached to itincluding the expansion coil 13, whichxmay thereby be withdrawn throughthe opening 12.

Supported upon the base 15 is a compressor 16 shown as having twoupright cylinders 17, a crank shaft 18 with cranks 19, connecting rods20 and pistons 21. The compressor also comprises a crank case 22 whichsurrounds the operating parts of the compressor and a worm gear 23operates in the crank case and is securedto the middle part of the crankshaft as shown particularly in Figure 2. The worm gear 23, andconsequently the crank shaft 18, is driven by a worm 24 on a drivingshaft 25, which shaft is mounted in bearings 26 and 27 in the crankcase. The driving shaft 25 extends through the wall of the crank caseand is surrounded by a packing 28 to prevent leakage therefrom.

A motor 29, preferably an electric motor, is supported by a bracket 30on the base 15 and it is connected by a suitable joint 31 to the drivingshaft 25 so that it will operate the compressor through said crank shaftand the gears 23 and. 24.

It will be noticed that the shaft 25 is beneath the gear 23 in the lowerpart of the crank case 22 so that it will be lubricated by the oilwithin the crank case. It will also be seen that the crank case fullyencloses the operating parts of the compressor and that a pipe 32connects with the crank case, leading from the expansion coil 13 abovereferred to. A by-pass 33, shownin Figure 1, is provided in the sidewall of each of the cylinders and a port 34 opens into the cylindersubstantially at the lowest point of travel of the piston 21. Thus itwill be understood that as the piston moves downwardly a vacuum will becreated in the 100 cylinder until the piston uncovers the port 34:. Thiswill cause a suction from the crank case and consequently from theexpansioncoil 13 through the pipe 32, for purposes hereinafter morefully described. 1

Mounted very close to the compressor and at one side thereof is acondenser 35 which comprises a casing 36 and a series of pipes 37 withinthe casing. The inlet end of the condenser is connected with the outletof 110 the com ressor by. a pipe 38, and. preferabl a cl feck valve 391s arran ed as shown in igure 1, at the inlet en o the condenser.Also,.each of the cylinders 17, at its outlet end, is provided with'acheck valve 40 which is spring closed on the downward stroke of thepiston.

For the purpose of increasing the circulation of air around the pipes 37of the condenser, a fan 41 is arranged between the condenser andcompressor. This fan draws air through the condenser, and thereforearound the condenser pipes, and likewise increases the circulation ofair around the flanged cylinders of the compressor.

The fan is mounted on a shaft 42 which extends laterally between thecylinders 17 and is mounted in bearings 43, 44 in the crank casecasting. A connection for driving the fan shaft is provided in the formof a belt 45 operating on ulleys 46 and 47 on the driving shaft 25 andthe fan shaft 42 respectively.

The outlet from the condenser 35 connects through a pipe 48 to a storagechamber 49.

This chamber is in the form of a circular coil of pipes and is arrangedwithin the hollow base 15 directly beneath the compressor 16. It is thusmore or less subjected to the cool air of the compartment 11 so that therefrigerant in its condensed state is more readily retained.

The outlet from the storage chamber 49 is through an expansion valve 50of any suitable type, to the expansion coil 13. This valve permits theflow of refrigerant through it into the expansion coil 13 as thepressure within that coil is reduced below a given pressure.

Also suspended from the support 15 is a thermostat 51, preferably of theelongated type, that extends down through an opening in the expansioncoil 13. The upper end of this thermostat extends into the spacesurrounded by the coils of the pipe forming the storage chamber 49, asshown in Figure 1, thus economizing in space. The thermostat showncomprises an upright bracket 52 havi g separated contacts 53 and 54, aswinging hammer switch 55 pivotally supported at 56, a rigid arm 57extending downwardly from the bracket 52, and a U-shaped thermostat 58the upper arm 59 of which is bifurcated as at 60 so that it extends onboth sides of the lower extremity of the hammer switch 55. Theadjustable points 61 of the arm 59 are adapted to contact with the sidesof the switch 55 as the thermostat arm 59 is moved laterally (inFigure 1) by the thermostat proper, to thereby shift the switch from oneposition to the other or from one contact 53, 54 to the other. In Fi re1 the switch 55 is shown as resting on t e contact 53 and as the arm 59of the thermostat 1s moved to the right it will be seen that the upperend of the switch 55 will be shifted so that it will rest against thecontact 54. A reversal of the thermostat arm 59 will of course reversethe operation of the switch. Thus the differences in' temperature in thecompartment 11 that affect the thermostat 58 will operate the switch 55to thereby start or stop the motor that operates the compress'or.

Not all of the operating connections be tween the thermostaticallyoperated switch and the motor 29 are shown, but it will be understoodthat a battery such as indicated at 62, in Figure 1, is connected as bya wire 63 to the switch 55 and two wires 64 and 65 extend from thecontacts 53 and 54 respectively to suitable solenoids and startingmechanism such, for instance, as is shown at 66 in somewhat conventionalform. This starting mechanism may be of any suitable form for startinand stopping the motor 29 upon contact of t e switch 55 with one or theother of the contact points 53, 54.

The refrigerating ap aratus above described is intended preferably tooperate with sulphur di-oxide (S0,) or a similar refrigerant, and itwill be understood'that upon operation of the compressor by the motor 29the expandedrefrigerantingaseous form in the expansion coil 13 will bewithdrawn through the pipe 32 and the crank case 22. The compressor will-operate to considerably raise the pressure of the refrigerant and passit through the valves 40 and 39 into the condenser 35. Here therefrigerant, under pressure, passes through the coils 37 and iscondensed to li uid form. It is passed to the pipe 48 in t e stora echamber or coil 49 for use as required. is the temperature in thecompartment 11 rises above a given point the thermostat 51 expands andoperates the switch 55 to cause the starting mechanism 66 to start themotor 29. This sets the compressor in operation and withdraws therefrigerant from the expansion coil 13 and thereby reduces the pressuretherein. This reduction of pressure, when it reaches a given point,causes the automatic operation of the expansion valve 50 so that therefrigerant is fed through that valve into the expansion coil where itrapidly expands and thereby produces a reduction in temperature in thecoil. The apparatus then operates until the temperature within thecompartment 11 drops below a given point when the thermostat 51 operatesthe switch 55 to close the circuitthrough the contact 53 and, throughthe starting mechanism 66, stops the motor 29. Of course this operationis repeated as often as the temperature in the compartment 11 risesabove the point set for it.

But a single form of the invention has been shown and described herein.It will be understood, however, that other forms Bil and modificationmay be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventionas set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination,asupport, a compressor thereon, a condenser on one side of thecompressor and a motor on the other side thereof, a fan disposed on thesame side of the compressor as the condenser to operate in connectionwith the condenser, and connections for operating the compressor and fanfrom the motor.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination, a support, a compressorthereon, a condenser on one side of the compressor and a motor on theother side thereof, a fan mounted on the compressor and having a shaftextending from one side to the other thereof, and connections foroperating the compressor and said shaft from the motor.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination, a two-cylindercompressor, a fan shaft extending laterally between the cylinders, amotor, and connections for drivin the compressor and fan shaft from themotor.

4. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination, a two-cylindercompressor, a fan shaft, extendin laterally between the cylinders abovet e crank shaft of the compressor, agnotor, a driving shaft from themotor to the compressor arranged beneath the crank shaft, andconnections for driving the fan shaft from the motor.

5. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination, a hollow support, acompressor and condenser, means for driving the compressor, a storagecoil in the support, and

a thermostat extending into said coil.

8. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination a hollow support, acompressor and condenser, means for driving the compressor, a storagecoil in the support, an expansion coil arranged beneath the storagecoil, and a thermostat in the expansion coil and extendin into thestorage coil.

7. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination, a two-cylindercompressor havin a worm wheel and cranks at the sides 0 the worm wheel,a worm and driving shaft arranged beneath the worm wheel, a fan shaftparallel to the driving shaft above the worm wheel, and means fordriving the driving shaft and fan shaft.

8. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination, a two-cylindercompressor havin a worm wheel and cranks at the sides 0 the worm wheel,a worm and driving shaft arranged beneath the worm Wheel, a fan shaftparallel to the drivin shaft above the worm wheel, and means or drivingthe fan shaft from thedriving shaft.

9. In a refrigerating apparatus, in combination, a two-cylindercompressor having a worm wheel and cranks at the sides of the wormwheel, a worm and driving shaft arranged beneath the worm wheel, a fanshaft parallel to the driving shaft above the worm wheel, a motorconnected to the driving shaft, and driving connections from the drivingto the fan shaft.

10. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination with a refrigeratorhavin an opening, a support mounted over sai opening, said supporthaving a chamber therein provided with an opening extendingsubstantially over one entire side of the chamber and registering withsaid opening in the refrigerator, an expansion coil suspended from thesupport within the refrigerator, and a liquid-refrigerant storagechamber connected to said coil and comprising horizontally disposedmeans in said first-mentioned chamber for receiving the liquidrefrigerant therein.

11. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination with a refrigeratorhavin an opening, a support mounted over sai o ening, said supporthaving a chamber therein provided with an opening extendingsubstantially over one entire side of the chamber and registering withsaid opening in the refrigerator, a compressor and condenser mounted onthe support, a liquid-refrigerant storage chamber comprisinghorizontally disposed means in said first-mentioned chamber forreceiving liquid refrigerant therein, and an expansion coil suspendedfrom the support within the refrigerator, said expansion coil forming aun1t with the sup ort adapted to be inserted or withdrawn t rough saidrefrigerator opening.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES L. MGCUEN.

